


Of Mobsters and Men

by enbyblue



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alcohol consumption in the future, Dirk smokes cigars that's a thing, Fluffy things, Implied smut for now, In which everyone wears gloves and hats. Literally everyone, M/M, Mentions of Prostitution, Mobsters and mafia and organized crime, More tags as the story progresses yeee, Potential gambling in the future, Potential smut in the future
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-13
Updated: 2014-11-20
Packaged: 2018-02-25 04:46:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2608997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enbyblue/pseuds/enbyblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Cigar?"<br/>"Ah... No, not this time around, thank you. Rather not go through /that/ again."<br/>"A'ight. Suit yourself."</p><p>Just a DirkJake AU in a 1920's AU where they're partners and big names in organized crime and mafia of alcohol distribution. Meanwhile, Jane is a crossdressing sleuth out to crack their case, and Roxy is a stylish young lady out to make a statement and start trends. Fluffy shenanigans, plenty of comedy, implied (and perhaps actual) smut, scandalous things, and a hint of mafia-based bloodshed. </p><p>I will be using actual terms through the duration of the story, imply real events, and use historical fact for everything. Words with a * will be further delved upon in author's notes. Enjoy the ride.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introductory

"Cigar?"  
"Ah... No, not this time around, thank you. Rather not go through /that/ again."  
"A'ight. Suit yourself." 

It's a quiet Saturday evening, pleasantly devoid of activity, surprisingly, for once, even in the bustling hotspot of New York City. The air is crisp and cool, the roads only displaying small groups of travelers every so often, unlike the usual Saturday with car horns honking and joyous, jazzy music blaring from the local street performers, ladies skipping about in their glee and outgoing spirits, free from their stuffy turtleneck dresses down to the ankle and baby powder makeup. Tonight is calm, and everyone has decided to settle down and sleep for a change. 

Dirk rather likes the serenity of it all. "Suits this place," he remarks, staring out the one window located in his office, "lets people actually sleep for a goddamn change. Not like I'll get to, but, hey." 

Jake, right by him, frowns as usual. "I really think you should right get yourself a snooze for a change." He replies, shifting in his seat placed next to Dirk's. They shared the office, having worked together for years upon end without fail. Dirk merely gives a single, dismissive head nod, clearly not interested in the proposition, as also per usual. Dirk rarely slept; his insomnia was annoyingly strong, and the idea that sleep was impractical because of the staggering quantities of work to be done still. He reaches over and clicks the window open, lifting it up and staring out for a moment, counting every street light that made the roads glitter and billboards illuminate. He gives a single, quiet sigh, before turning to Jake, motioning for him to pass over the lighter. He grabs a fat cigar, taking the lighter and lighting it up, sticking the rolled tobacco in his mouth and puffing out a long, slow breath of smoke. 

Jake becomes tense, as always whenever Dirk was smoking. He clears his throat for a second, lighting a few candles on the office desk so he could see better in the dark. The candle light is dazzling, sending orange light to paint a canvas across the other man's face, highlighting the five o'clock shadow lining along his chin and jaw that he had forgotten to shave off that morning. It accents his sharp, square jawline, marking the tiny creases and quirks of his thin lips, currently wrapped around the cigar, its tip bright red with heat. It casts a shadow down his long and pointed noise, making every freckle pop out on it and his cheeks like the stars dusted his face. His body is moving subtly because of his breathing, and his eyes burn with a stoic determination unlike anyone's have ever displayed, matching well with his golden-blond hair. His eyes, orange like the fiery sunset, suddenly flick over to Jake, noticing his staring. 

"Hey, you're staring. Something wrong? Something on my face?"  
No, nothing's wrong, Jake thinks idly to himself, except the fact you're absolutely gorgeous. His mouth has slowly fallen open as he silently examined Dirk in the light, glittering green eyes filled to the brim with curiosity and a burning urge he needed to fulfill. 

"N-no, my apologies. I, um--" "Something's bugging you, Jake. You're not normally like this." Dirk responds sharply, eyes narrowing with his stubborn retort. Jake suddenly looks panicked, and blurts out the first thing on his mind. 

"You just, you just look utterly stunning with the candle light. I-I don't mean that in the wrong way, I swear! I'm sorry, I just--" He cuts himself off, staring at his hands. Dirk just sits there, watching Jake, watching him with what would seem to be surprise. He takes the cigar out of his mouth, puffing out one last breath of smoke before putting it out and setting it aside. He leans forward, reaching out a gloved hand to tilt Jake's chin up to look at him. Jake is now forced to peek up at the blond from under his wide-brimmed hat, worry and confusion making his eyes big and round. He was utterly startled at how /close/ Dirk was to him, so close he could feel his body heat, so close, he could feel warm breaths ghosting against his face. 

"What do you mean by 'the wrong way'?" He murmurs, leaning closer. "I have been working with you for three years, English. I know your tricks. But, this. This is new. Explain to me what you're feeling."  
Jake could feel his cheeks burn with embarrassment. He wanted to just hide away in a ball, take back his words, take back his actions. "I'm sorry, Dirk, I didn't mean to stare! I, why are you taking this like that? I've never seen you like th--"  
He was sorry. He truly was apologizing. But, his regrets dissolve into nothing as Dirk places his lips on his own. 

Well, this is a first. Not that either of them were complaining, as Jake clambers onto Dirk's lap as they lose themselves, getting themselves carried away for the rest of the night instead of signing contracts, as they should have been.


	2. Ah, the city life.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Backstories, Jake runs into Dirk, and that's about it. Also, dogs and baby Jade.

Ah, the bustling city life. How exquisitely /weird./ 

Jake English was the product of agriculture. A stay-at-home farm boy, he had a vast and endless garden to tend to, a grandmother whose back had gone out, and a tiny baby sister with energy as high as their puppy, Halley, and their giant, pure white husky, Becquerel. Jake was always busy; household chores were piled up high, and he was practically the only one who could do them. Sure, he could busy baby Jade with pulling weeds and feeding the dogs, but he had to do the manual labor himself. Grandma at least could sew the seeds of their pumpkin and squash garden and cook, but anything else was Jake's job. He was the man of his home, and as such took great pride in what he did. 

One day, he had a proposition. With sweat shimmering as it dripped off his nose one exceptionally dreadful summer day, he decided he had quite enough. Sorry, but the endless stream of chores was just too much for the poor teenager's thirst for freedom. He had gone inside and written himself a plan; to move to the hottest city in the country, get himself a home, a beautiful woman, and a steady job to have a healthy  
family. It was perfect. The day Grandma had fallen deathly ill was the day Jake made the last step. 

"I love you, gran," He croaked, holding her bony hand tight, "I won't let you down." He took his hat off, placed it on his heart and utterly bawled when she had passed away the next day.  
In her will, he received the home, the garden, and all of their savings, to which he sold the house and got the train tickets to move out to the big city, Jade, Halley, Bec, and three bags of seeds in tow. He had gotten on the train with his gigantic hat and gardening gloves still on, pulling Jade and the dogs along. (It's a miracle the dogs got on the train; their kennels were counted as 'luggage', surprisingly!) He was so excited he could barely breathe. Nineteen, and with his whole life and future just waiting to be found.

Little did he know, his future would begin by accidentally bumping into a boy whilst traveling down the city streets searching for a vacant home. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Ah, the city life. Home, as it's always been. 

Dirk Strider was accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the city, having grown up in the Southern hotspot of Austin, Texas. His lifestyle was all revolving about getting himself an education; especially in the fields of economics and science. He spent constant hours getting his hands on books of every kind, immersing himself in realms of knowledge and information from reading the daily paper. While a normal person would throw away the paper after quickly skimming over it for whatever article headlines littered it, he would thorougly examine every word carefully, searching to find any political scam or coverup he could busy himself learning about. He, like everyone else in his family, was a genius. He could remember nearly everything he read, and used analysis to connect dots and uncover truths like no one else. He could almost become a muckraker*, if he wanted to. 

Only problem was, he wasn't using this for good purposes. 

His older brother was already wrapped up in the world of mafia. A highly wealthy man, he prospered off of gambling and bootlegging*. He was an icon of every woman's dreams, with a handsome face, glittering red eyes, cigar hanging out of one side of his mouth, clad in a crisp jacket and bowler hat. He was the big daddy, the man with a plan, and had a terrible sense of morality.  
Dirk's job was simple; pick out the breaks to scandals and cover them up again with an even better seal. Manipulate them. Make sure nothing comes out. With his abilities to use logic and factual thinking to convince the journalists, (not to mention a fat fee, too) he made sure none of their saloons collapsed, kept up with the news, and made sure not to let his or his older brother's identities slip. He was a master at his work, and made sure that they were prosperous. 

His older brother, though, lived in New York at the time. Dirk was left to fend for himself and his younger brother, Dave, and he did alright for the most part. He was always mailed hefty sums of money to keep himself and Dave afloat, so they were always okay. But, it just wasn't enough. 

One day, he would get on a train and move out to New York so he could be with his brother again. He was eighteen when he moved, just a year before Jake had, and it would be the best and worst decision of his life. He was destined for big things. Very, very big things, but the magnitudes were beyond him and beyond anyone else's compatibility. 

Little did he know, this would be affected by a single boy, his two dogs, and his baby sister who promptly smacked into him as he was walking down the street and eyeing the newest tailored suits in the window of his favorite clothing store. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With a comical thump, Jake was ass-first on the concrete, hat knocked to one side, and everyone surrounding him utterly startled. "Well jiminy fricking Christmas," he exclaimed, sitting up and reaching for his hat. To his right was a tiny girl in pigtails, to his left a pair of dazed pups, and to his front was a rather tall blond man holding his forehead with a grimace on his face. 

"Ow, shit, man, that was painful. Sorry," He started, and to Jake's dismay, clenched his perfectly pearly white teeth in agony. Hustling himself back up, he quickly began with a "Oh goodness, my apologies, sir! I had absolutely no intentions of kerthumping my own noggin into yours there. Absolute blasphemy on my part to bumble about in such a manner without stopping to smell the roses a bit. You have no need to apologize, my good sir, I will duly take blame."  
Still in shock, Dirk had to take a moment to absorb everything that the other boy had said. He talked fast, holy shit. "Hey, hey, s'all cool. I was distracted, myself. Don't worry yourself any. You alright?"  
"Fantastic, other than a flat tire, if you know what I mean. Man down, yeah?" He chuckled softly, quickly wiping off the back of his pants and straightening his hat with a quick tug.  
"Yeah. You had a nasty fall there. Your girl okay?" He gestured to Jade, whose face consisted of glossed-over eyes staring at a window that held a massive cake.  
"Oh, she's just dandy, I can tell."  
Dirk took a moment to examine the girl for a second, an amused twinkle glimmering in his eyes. Looking back up at Jake, he noticed a very similar expression in his eyes as Jade's, kind of absent and rather innocent. He snorted something of a laugh, a grin ghosting across his lips as he thought of something to say. 

"You from here? You don't look like you're from New York." He noted, getting the thought off or his chest. With that, the brunet snapped out of his absentness, shaking his head no in response. "Nope! Matter of fact, I just got here; I come from Nebraska. Moved away from my farm in search for a new life." Dirk quirked an eyebrow, tilting his head just a bit in fascination, studying the other male. "That's a long way's away. Why NY, if I'm allowed to ask?"  
"Oh, it just seems like the life of excitement! Bustling, energetic, people at every corner, pretty ladies- what a dream, yeah?"  
"Well, I hope you make yourself at home. It's a pretty great town once you get used to it. At least, in my perspective."  
"Jolly good, then! I do appreciate the friendly words. Pray tell, do you know of any empty places I can settle into around here? You seem like you'd know your way around! If it isn't of any bother, of course." He tugged Jade a little closer to his side, noticing she was gravitating towards the pastry shop. The dogs were panting at his other side, Halley sniffing at Dirk's leg quietly as they talked.  
"Yeah, I do, actually. This way."  
"My thanks go to you, friend! By the by, do you have yourself a moniker of any kind?"  
"..Dirk. I'm Dirk. You?"  
"Jake English. Pleasure to meet you, mister Dirk." He jutted his hand out enthusiastically, to which Dirk shook with his warm and gloved grip. With a silent nod, the blond began to walk, four balls of energy following behind with eager abandon. What a nice fellow, Jake noted to himself, watching the buildings pass by him with wonder. What am I getting myself into, Dirk asked himself, leading everyone to a pillbox house next to a park that was for sale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Bootlegging: Illegally distributing alcohol. Bootleggers are people who illegally sell alcohol as well.  
> *Muckraker: A journalist who uncovers scandals and truths covered up by editors in mass media ad newspapers. 
> 
> The chapter is done yessss *wheeze* I am planning to set up an every other day method of posting chapters, therefore it gives me a day and a half to type up the next chapter. Super excited to get everything together! Hope you liked this one! Many more to go, I'll say. Next one may or may not have to do with our favorite sleuth and stylish lady... Who knows. I won't tell.


	3. The Sleuth and the Flapper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing: Jane and Roxy! :D

"Wh-- oh, jeepers, Roxy, watch where that stuff is landing! Would you quit flinging the hats?"  
“Oops. Sorry, Janey.”

Jane Crocker was a rather interesting girl. Never one for what most women liked to wear, never one for keeping her hair long and breezy. Her attire consisted of a single skirt and many, many pairs of tailored slacks and snazzy suits all sewn up just for her, upon request, from her dad. She didn't much care for impractical flowy gowns; no detective in the novels wore such things! Therefore she didn't either. She had important sleuthy work to do and no skirt or dress will keep her from achieving her destiny of the world's finest Ace Dick. So, without question, 

This sleepover was going to be a total disaster.

Well, not totally; Roxy was an excitable gal, all about her fashion and keeping up with trendy apparel. Her mother was the same way, a studious and smart woman with a sharp tongue and encouragement to do what the other girls didn’t. And Roxy simply loved boys as well. She wanted to talk about boys. Jane would not be dating one of her future colleagues of the crime-fighting world, she would reason. But Jane, you're a girl, I'm a girl, a girl's gotta settle down with her man someday! Not when you're part of the agency, my dear, not then. 

"Oh my gosh, but what about that one guy walkin' down the opposite side of the street after we finished up window shopping?"  
"No, Lalonde, he is not going to catch my interest. Though I am not opposed to having a man someday, not now! You know I will be working with them as a sleuth!”  
“Right, right, but can’t ya indulge a little? It doesn’t hurt anyone.” Roxy frowned, her lips jutting out in her most exaggerated pout that she could put on.  
“Ah… Alright, I guess so. But no one you’ve listed off has piqued my fancy yet, you know!” She emanated a hooty laugh, fluffing up her short raven hair. Roxy’s frown then became even wider, this time more concentrated towards her own thinking to see if Jane’s perspectives will budge even a little. She had to have a celebrity crush of some kind, right? 

Ah, the ideals of twelve year olds were very clear.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
But, as soon as Roxy hit seventeen, she picked up a magazine and flipped through the pages one day at the barber shop. As soon as she saw the beautiful short dresses of the Jazz Age ladies, the short hair, the lipstick, the eyeliner, she was hooked. She wanted to be like them. And so, she flailed the magazine page excitedly at the barber, requested her hair to be ‘just like that lady’s’ and, with reluctance from the barber, got it. She would never turn back after she got that cut. She, too, would be part of the flapper* revolution. Living in New York from the start would definitely help with that.

 

On the other hand, when Jane was seventeen, she was torn between going into a life of baking, or a life of crime-solving. 

“I just don’t know what I want to do! I love both equally, it just isn’t fair.” She confessed to her dad during a winter blizzard one day. While handing Jane a cup of hot cocoa and urging her to scoot closer to the fireplace, he gave her his best wisdom.  
“Well, Jane, either way, it’s going to be quite difficult. You are a young lady, and how this society views and treats you is unfair yet. Becoming a detective, though, that will get you a much better pay than any baker ever could dream of. Just do pastry work as a side hobby; your old coot here can take care of the shop while you’re off doing your crime-solving. Don’t worry about it.” His face showed grim concern, though, as he reached to give her shoulder a stern, fatherly pat. “It will be a hard life if you don’t cover up your identity. It will be only for your own safety; how would people react with you, a woman, becoming a world-famous sleuth? There would be shock and horror to no end.”  
Jane’s expression was that of disgust. “What’s so wrong with a lady in charge??”  
“I wonder that, too.”  
“Well, I suppose I’ll take up on your advice. Thank you, dad.”  
“Of course, Jane. I am so, so proud of you.”

How lucky Jane was to have such a supportive and loving parent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Flapper: A stylish young woman who pushed and challenged the views of the 1920's on women and women's rights. 
> 
> And here we have our favorite gals making their appearance! I feel like this chapter could have been a little better, but I hope it works for everyone! I kinda have a headache. Ew. 
> 
> Next chapter will be about Dirk and Jake. I'm not sure how long this will go; but I can assure you, everyone will meet at some time in the future. Shenanigans ensue.


	4. Tuesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake says hello, Dirk offers a date///cOUGH I MEAN JUST A SIMPLE FRIENDLY STOP AT THE COFFEE SHOP and there are emotions.

"Hey!" 

Jake had picked up a running start, bolting down the sidewalk in a panicked sprint. He was chasing after Dirk in an attempt to catch him just before he got into his car, and somehow he was actually successful.   
"Excuse me! Dirk, was it? Dirk! Wait up, chap!"   
Dirk snapped his head to the voice, eyes flashing with surprise as he nearly got tackled by this excitable ball of euphoria that was called another human being. Jake almost tripped as he skidded to a stop next to the blond and his Ford, wheezing as he caught his breath to speak. 

"Whoa, whoa. Hey, there. Haven't seen you in a while. You doing okay?"   
There was a silence, except the heavy breaths puffing from Jake's mouth. Bending down to grab his knees, the brunet held up a single finger, and Dirk simply just nodded in response. Got it. Still need a bit to catch your breath. That's cool.   
The silence was a little awkward, though.   
"Alright," he breathed, "I'm good now. I came down here in two shakes of a rabbit's tail because I wanted to thank you! I got myself a little humble abode to call home because of you, mate. Thanks a million for the suggestions about living areas!" Dirk's eyebrows shot up in response, genuine surprise crossing over his face.   
"Didn't know you'd actually get a place. I'm happy for you, man, congrats." He leaned on the hood of his car, letting one of his hands move about as he spoke. "See, with NY City growing so much as it is nowadays, people are lining up for a chance to live in the big cities. When'd you get your place?"   
"Oh, a couple weeks ago! I managed to snag myself a pre-furnished place for cheap; small, yeah, but at least it's near the park for my pups to go play at. Jade's a happy little champ, too, she loves the new place. Manages to stick her head in everything, heh."   
"Well, it's pretty great you got your own living space, huh. Being on your own is one hell of a transition; did you get a job yet, by the way?"   
"Oh, you can bet on it! Just at a little convenience store down the road; I can walk to it and everything! I'll say, I really hit it lucky with my move to the hustle and bustle!"   
Dirk couldn't help but crack something of a smile, quirking a single eyebrow and studying the othr male's face. He found that charming beam on Jake's face rather attractive; he liked it, and felt himself drawn towards his warm and friendly spirit and attitude. Truth be told, he hadn't had a pleasant conversation with a genuinely kind person for a long time, mostly spending his time with the kinds of people his older brother hung out with in the back-alley bars and gambling meetups. Usually he watched from the sidelines, not wanting to truly associate himself with the older men, finding it rather intimidating, so Jake being here like this for a chat was nice for a change.   
"Sure did. You've got a good heart, I can tell. You can get somewhere with the kind of determination I see in you." The blond rose from where he leaned on his car, standing straight with a more absent expression. He was thinking about what he should do; he didn't want to just leave the guy, but he did assign a meetup with his "friends" at the saloon masked by the ever-so-convenient sign "Grab 'N' Go Groceries". He stared down at his hands for a second, and swallowed dryly, somewhat hesitant on asking him if he'd like a drink. After all, it was illegal, and he didn't actually know Jake enough to assume he wouldn't call the authorities and attempt to take the place out. 

With a puff of breath from his nose, he flicked his eyes back up at the ever-attentive brunet, sucking in air through his mouth before talking. "Hey, since you and I are pretty chill at the moment, you wanna go down to the coffee shop sometime? I'm free this Tuesday."   
Jake blinked, processing the question a bit before nodding happily.   
"Sure thing! What time? My lunch break is from noon to 1:30. I get off at 5."   
"5:30, then. It'll be on me, so don't worry about the costs." He flashed a small grin, and Jake frowned a little. "Are you sure? I can easily do my own bidding, my good sir."   
"Nope. I got it. Don't get too worked up about it, okay?" Jake simply pouted a bit before nodding, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck. "Alrighty then, if you insist! Thanks again, mister Dirk. I bid thee a wonderful evening!" He tipped his hat in acknowledgement, Dirk responding with the same motion, giving a curt wave as he slipped into his car, driving off to the saloon for the group gathering. 

Jake then simply skipped back home, feeling a warm happiness bubble up in his chest in satisfaction. What a nice fellow, he thought to himself, I can't wait for Tuesday.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday came, and Dirk was there at exactly 5:30 donning an orange tie and a fresh set of gloves. Jake, on the other hand, spent at least five minutes too many trying to decide what to wear, just deciding /oh, bollocks, fuck it/ and going with his favorite bowtie and gray jacket. Snazzy. With the same hat as always, he went flying down the sidewalk, nearly crashing into a few people as he ran to the coffee shop. Flinging the door open with a violent jingle from the door chimes, he was quickly chided by a waitress, asking how many, him hurriedly replying that he was with someone. The waitress was rather annoyed with his impatience and tried to keep her composure as she asked who, him replying with Dirk, and then her leading him over to the table he was at, taking her sweet time. /Move, lady./

Dirk looked up at him, snorting a small laugh as he noticed how panicked the brunet looked. His hands were folded together patiently as he oh-so-subtly checked out the other male, noting that his bowtie was a little sloppy, his hair was messy jutting out from under his hat, and his glasses were somewhat crooked. Is that a missing button from that jacket? 

How positively wonderful. There was so much character in his appearance, and despite the sloppiness, he still somehow managed to be attractive. He was just one of those guys. 

Jake, on the other hand, was kind of self-conscious in comparison to Dirk. What a crisp and clean jacket, a tie perfectly straight, smooth, gelled hair, everything about his figure was smooth and together. They were so different in comparison. Taking a good look at him a second time, he finally noticed the color of his... Eyes. Wow. Was that real? Absolutely stunning, Jake marveled, sitting himself down across from Dirk distractedly. 

"Hello, old sport. Sorry I'm a wee late, Jade was having an absolute conniption and I had to tend to it." Jake murmured, embarrassed, and Dirk just shrugged. "S'alright. I understand that, no rush here." With a quick nod, Jake nervously fidgeted and adjusted his position a bit on the seat, getting interrupted by the waitress as she asked if they wanted drinks. Jake simply got himself a water, Dirk an espresso, tilting his head curiously at Jake and wondering why he was so nervous. Was Dirk intimidating or something? Maybe he doesn't get out much. That might actually explain it; he did say he was from a farm, right? So it could definitely be social awkwardness. It's okay, Jake, don't worry about it. 

With a quiet throat-clearing, the brunet sat up straighter, putting on a grin and starting up a round of smalltalk. "Thanks once again for this, mate! You're a real swell fella, you know that?"   
"Ahahaha. Hey, not a problem. It's just nice to let a newcomer get to adjust and feel comfortable in a weird and frantic city. You seem like a good guy yourself."   
"Ah, well, the sentiment is quite splendid, I'll say. Haven't been here yet! I should really get myself out more. I want to see everything there is to this famed and prosperous place." 

This made Dirk pause, his eyes glimmering with surprise, then clouded over with grave dullness. He lowered his head a bit, eyes locking with Jake's in a sudden display of grim warning. "You don't want to see everything. Not everything is good here. There are crimes, murders, bad people. They want your money, they want your name. There are places you should watch out for." 

Jake's surprise and shock was apparent as his face paled somewhat from the sudden change in atmosphere. "How... How do you know?"   
"You read about it all the time in newspapers. Man dead, identity of criminal found, imprisonment, so on and so forth. It's a nasty world, dog eat dog. No one is truly safe." Dirk then straightened in his seat, and his expression changed to the same calm one he had on earlier. " So long as you don't stick your muzzle into the deep shit, you'll be fine. Usually, small folks like yourself aren't chased after, unless you've had affairs with an enemy gang or are wealthy. I think you can hold your head up. You don't look like the type who would get themselves into a world like that." 

"W-well, that's a little scary! I suppose that should be said for any place, though, nothing is all good and perfect." Jake's surprised expression contorted to a mildly shaken one, grateful for the waitress to come and bring them their drinks. Perfect timing to break the atmosphere of that conversation. 

"You yourself don't seem like the kinda fellow who'd get wrapped up in that whole nonsense either."

Dirk was silent. He, instead of replying, took a sip of his espresso, closing his eyes so he wouldn't meet Jake's in that instant. Oh, you poor thing. If only you knew. 

When the waitress asked if they wanted anything to eat, Jake quickly flipped through the menu, deciding on what he should get himself. Glancing over at Dirk, who had just ordered a few orange cookies, he reconsidered his option and got a brownie to match, so neither of them would get uncomfortable. As she walked off, the blond took a moment to look at Jake's expression for a moment. He's a sweet guy, Dirk mused to himself, he'd make a great husband for a woman who didn't want a bad boy type. But, he could be easily manipulated, he thought dully, and anyone could take advantage of him. He's gullible. Innocent. He needs to be taught how to keep his head out of the clouds. New York isn't the right place for this cute little farm boy. 

Jake was beaming with delight from his treat as it was brought over to him. He hadn't had himself any sweets for weeks, so the break in lacking thereof was "simply the bees' knees", as he put it. "Ah, I'm very grateful for this confection! It kind of reminds me of home." He paused, closing his eyes to remember all of the wonderful goodies his grandma always used to make him, with a quiet laugh. "Ah, those were the days."   
"Yeah? Did you have a good life back on your little farm?"   
"Oh, it was marvelous, for the most part. Had myself a lovely, fiesty gran, baby Jade, and the dogs. They were all I ever needed."   
"Your gran doing okay without you around anymore?"  
"Well. She's, she's not with me in person. She. Is up in Heaven." His face went gloomy, but he tried to cover it up with a smile.   
"Oh, I'm sorry, man, I didn't realize."   
"No no! It's alright, you didn't. I just..." Jake trailed off, taking his hat and clutching it gently, willing tears away from his eyes. "She was my life. My mentor. She taught me everything."   
"I'm sure she was. You know what? I bet she's proud of you for getting your ass out here all by yourself." Dirk flashed a tiny smile, hoping that sentiment made Jake feel better. A few quick tears slid down the other man's face, and he sniffled softly, grabbing a napkin and dabbing the wetness from his eyes. "Thank you, Dirk. That really does mean a lot to me." 

Fuck, if anyone else were witnessing this, Jake would probably have been called a crybaby and ditched on the spot, Dirk mused. Thank God it's me, though, because he would never deserve that treatment. 

After they both finished up their food, Dirk paid the bill (even through Jake's protests) and walked beside the brunet down the sidewalk. "I bid thee a hearty thanks for tonight! And for, ah, putting up with my emotions. Still not over that." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, glancing down at the ground. 

"Hey, no problem. Maybe we can do that again? How about next week?"   
"Same time?"  
"Sure."   
"Same Tuesday?"   
"Why not."   
"Roger that, then!"   
"Aye."   
With a wide grin, Jake laughed, saluting, then waving at Dirk as he took off back to his home, Dirk headed back to his car. What a quirky guy. Incredibly charming. I would be swooning if I were a woman, he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for getting this chapter out so late!! D: regular life and sickness has been beating me up lately, so here have this. The next chapter is going to be a huge part of the plot, I promise. It is so important. So important. Man.

**Author's Note:**

> I had fun making this chapter. Not much is happening, but don't worry, more will be explained, details will be detailed, so on and so forth. Just a small piece of entertainment while the real business is cranked out. I hope you enjoyed it! :'D


End file.
